


Tea for Two (or, well, Dinner for Four)

by vix_spes



Series: Tempest/Mojo 'verse [3]
Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: Domestic, Established Relationship, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-05-14
Packaged: 2018-01-24 17:46:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1613810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day that Bradley had been dreading has finally arrived … the double date</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tea for Two (or, well, Dinner for Four)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaosmaka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmaka/gifts).



It had been a pretty awesome day, the kind of day that Bradley never had enough of and always missed when he was in LA. He loved being in LA, of course he did – if he didn’t then he wouldn’t spend so much there – but it was missing three things that were very important to Bradley; Colin, his family and his friends. Today they had taken advantage of the fact that all of the knights except for Eoin were in London and had met up for a game of football and lunch. It had been much needed and he had actually forgotten (although he wasn’t quite sure how) how much he missed them. It had been sheer fluke that they had managed it to be honest. Rupert and Tom were both in between filming and back in London, Tom looking sickeningly brown from the Black Sails set. Ade had finished touring and Alex was down for meetings about a play he was doing in December. They’d even managed to round up Santiago, who was in between shooting blocks in Prague for The Musketeers. They’d decided that there was to be no shop talk, at least not until they hit the pub, and headed for a park that was equidistant between all of them.

It was exactly what Bradley hadn’t known he needed. So much had happened since he got back from the States this time. Colin had been ill so he’d been looking after him and then his mum had all but demanded his presence so there had been a trip down to Devon. It had been fairly full on but now that Colin was starting to get stuck into his preparation for Mojo, Bradley was finding himself at a bit of a loose end before he went back to the States. Of course, that meant that a kick-around in the park and then a few pints was a perfect temporary fix.

Before they knew it, all of the morning and a good portion of the afternoon had disappeared. Alex had checked his phone at one point, blanched and then started necking his pint stating that he was late to meet his girlfriend and was going to get into trouble. Upon finding out the time, Tom had admitted that he had plans with Laura and would have to go when he finished his drink. The remarks had caused a lot of joking comments about the two of them being whipped and hen-pecked.

“What about you Bradders? How’s Colin? You should have brought him with you.”

“He’s good and I did ask him but he’s just starting rehearsals for the new play so he couldn’t.”

“What’s this one about then? It’s a revival isn’t it?”

“Yeah, Jez Butterworth’s Mojo. It’s set in a 1950s club; all drugs and rock’n’roll. Nothing too different then!”

“You guys got any plans for tonight? It must be nice getting to spend a decent amount of time together for once.”

“It’s been great. Would have been even better if Cols hadn’t ended up in hospital at the end of The Tempest but yeah it’s been good. We’re going out for dinner tonight actually.”

“That’s brave of you. I can hear the fangirls screaming already.”

Bradley rolled his eyes. “Ha bloody ha. You’re such a comedian Young.”

“Just one of my many talents.”

Rupert’s droll (and rather quick for him) response had them all corpsing, dissolving into fits of laughter that just became even wilder when Alex started choking on his beer, prompting Tom to slap him on the back which left him gasping for breath even more. It was at that point they made the executive decision to start making tracks with multiple hugs and back slaps; Tom and Alex to meet their respective girlfriends and Santiago to meet up with another group of friends leaving Bradley and Rupert who were both heading in the same direction. They walked in companiable silence before Rupert spoke.

“I’m not trying to be a killjoy, or tell you that you shouldn’t do it but do you really think going out for dinner is a good idea? Do you really want to be responsible for the spontaneous combustion of that many fangirls’ brains’ if they spot you? And they will, it’s inevitable. Police sniffer dogs have nothing on fangirls.”

They shared a laugh before Rupert spoke again.

“Seriously though, the two of you have always been so careful about keeping your relationship private and because you’ve been so careful you’ve been successful. What’s changed now? You’re both good friends and I don’t want to see you burned by the press. Or have a backlash from the fans. You both mean too much to me for that to happen.”

Bradley couldn’t help but stop and hug the man for that. “Thanks Rupe.” Not for the first time, he saw the similarities between the man walking at his side and the character that he had played for four years. “Besides, we’re going out for dinner but we’re not going out out if that makes sense?”

“Not really.”

“One of the other actors in the play – Ben Whishaw – has invited us to have dinner with him and his husband at their house. He and Cols have a lot of scenes together or big scenes or something so they met up a few times to discuss things before rehearsals started and voila! We have a dinner invitation.”

“A dinner invitation, how civilised! Look at how domesticated the two of you are; you’re like an old married couple.”

“Like I haven’t heard that one before! How long have you lot been calling us that?”

“Probably as long as I’ve known you. You are an old married couple though; this just adds to it. How are you feeling about it? Going to the house of a married couple for dinner isn’t exactly something that the two of you do.”

“Nervous?” Bradley gave a sheepish grin as he ran a hand through his hair, appreciating Rupert’s calm demeanour. “Like you said, it’s not  
something we do. I don’t even know the guy, but Cols raves about him.”

“Just enjoy it. Colin’s a bloody good judge of character so in all probability you’ll like the guy as well.”

“Ever the voice of reason aren’t you? Thanks though. I’d better get going or I’ll get it in the neck.”

“Ah, domestic bliss! We’ll go for a drink the next time you’re back in London. Give my love to Colin.”

“Will do. Bye!”

  
(~*~)

  
Several hours later, a pleasantly buzzed Bradley found himself pinned back against Colin’s front door and kissed until he was breathless. When Colin finally pulled back, Bradley found himself just blinking stupidly for several minutes before he could actually say anything coherent.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

“Tonight. Thank you, I know you weren’t looking forward to it.”

“No, I wasn’t but I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would. Plus, I think we’ve found someone more technologically incapable than you.” Only practice enabled Bradley to dodge the elbow aimed at his ribs. “Imagine playing the Quartermaster in a James Bond movie and be given one of those watches only to not be able to open the box!”

They both had a laugh over that before Bradley sobered up. “Seriously though, I had a great time; they’re both lovely blokes. And it was nice to do something as a proper couple if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah. So,” there was that mischievous smile Bradley had come to simultaneously love and dread, “you won’t mind that next time dinner is here then?”

“Next time?”

“I’ll make it worth your while ….”

Bradley started pushing Colin in the direction of the bedroom. “Next time here sounds great. When were you thinking?”

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/162778.html)


End file.
